Toothbrush



Feb, 14, 1933.

H. P, DUEY TOOTHBRUSH 'Filed Feb. 26 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventar Feb.14, 1933. H R DUEY 1,897,365

TOOTHBRUSH Filed Feb. 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In wvfof* Patented Feb.14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT FFCE TOOTHBRUSH Application filed February26, 1930. Serial No. 431,357.

rlhis invention relates to a toothbrush and has as its primary obj-ectthe provision ot a toothbrush which is especially adapted to bemanipulated with a rotary movement in eiiect-ing cleansing of the teethand whereby a person may cleanse his own teeth in a manner similar tothat employed by operators but without the use ot power-propelledmechanism.

Another object is to provide a toothbrush whi ch will facilitatecleansing of individual teeth and which is so formed that brushing ofthe back et the last molar may be effected.

Another object is to provide a toothbrush 1 raving a br'ush head inwhich the bristles are arranged so thatl their outer ends will form anannulus thereby imparting to the brush a circular end formation and alsoto provide a means whereby the brush head may be detachably connected toa toothbrush handle to permit the employment ot brush heads ot varioussizes with a single handle and also permit renewal of the brush heads asoccasion may require. Y

A further object is to provide a means tor effecting connection betweena brush head and a handle which will permit the ready attachment andremoval ot the brush head and in which 'the brush head will be securelyheld against rotation relatively to the handle when mounted thereon.

lith the foregoing objects in view, together with s'uch other objectsand advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in theparts and in the combination, construction and arrangement ot partshereinafter described and claimed and illustrated by way ot example inthe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view oi thetoothbrush;

Fig, 2 is an enlarged plan view ot the brush head;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section as seen on the line .3 ot Fig. 2showing the manner ot' mounting the brush head on the handle;

Fig. iis a view in elevation as seen on the ine "-li of Fig. 3 showingthe brush head rece ing portion of the toothbrush handle with the brushhead removed;

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Fig. 5 is a detail in section and elevation taken' on the line 5-5 ofFig. t;

Fig. 6 is a view in cross section as seen on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3; 1

Figs. 7 to 12 are views in section and eleva- 55. tion illustratingmodilied forms ot the invention.

Referring to the drawings more specifically, A indicates generally atoothbrush handle and B designates a toothbrush head mounted on thehandle A. and arranged to project laterally therefrom; the brush handleA, however, having` its brush-carrying end portion ot goose-neckformation and the brush head B being projected from the end tacethereof.

The toothbrush head B embodies a series ot bristles 10 arranged in theform of a truncated cone with their outer ends terminating at the baseot the cone substantially on a plane whereby the ends of the bristlesform a brush ot substantially circular or annular shape. The bristlesare mounted between a pair of spaced annular outer and inner metallicwalls 11 and 12 being seated interiorly of th-e wall 75 11 and beingheld in place thereagainst by the wall 12. The outer wall 11 is taperedand is formed at its smaller end portion with a reduced tubularextension or stem 13 which is slightly convergent or taperedlongitudinally from its intersection with the wall 11. The contiguousportions of the wall 11 and the tube 13 are integrally connected througha shoulder 14.

The -inner wall-12 is tapered and is rigidly affixed rela-tively to thewall 11 and tube 13 by means of a pin 15 having a head 16 which seats onthe inner tace of an inturned iiange 17 formed on the convergent endportion ot the wall 12 and has a stem 18 which projects into a splitsleeve 19 encompassed by the tube 13. The sleeve 19 tightly grips theshank 18 ot the pin and the pin and sleeve are held against longitudinalmovement relatively to each other by means of transverse serrations 20formed on the pin shank which effect such frictional or interlockingengagement with the sleeve as to prevent ready separation of the sleeveand pin. The sleeve'19 is held in place within the tube 13 by indentingthe latlo to the tapered exterior of the tube 13 to ef-V ter into theouter periphery ofthe sleeve` as indicated at 21. The intermediateportions of the bristles 10 constituting the reduced end of thetruncated conical formation of the bristles extend between the i'iangedinner end of the wall 12 and the inner face of the shoulder 14 on theouter wall 11, so that the bristleswill thus be clamped in placeintermediate their ends and thereby fastening the bristles moresecurelyagainst beingA feet wedge engagement therewith and being enlarged at itsouternend portion to pro vide a recess for the reception of theconvergent end portion of the wall 11 which recess is formed with aninclined wall 24 against which the outer face of the convergent endportion of the wall 11 is adapted to seat. v

' The side wall of the reduced portion of the socket 23 is formed withanl open ended groove 25 of high pitch spiralcontour, which groove isdesigned to receive the'projection or key 22 on the tubular stem 13 insuch manner as to hold the brush head against rfree rotation relativelyto the handle.

In mounting the head on the handle th tapered stem is inserted in thesocket 23 with the key 22 positioned to enter thevouter end of thegroove 25 whereupon the tapered stem is manually pressed intothe socketand Y by reason of the spiral formation of the groove 25 coacting withthe key 22 the stem is given a slight twisting or spiral movement as itcomes into seated contact with the walls of the socket. On the stembeing thus tightly pressed in place a secure connection is affordedbetween the brush head and the brush handle; the brush head beingsufficiently wedged into engagement with the handle as to hold the brushhead in place during manipulation of the brush, which engagement in suchby reason of the slight taper of the stem and socket as to permit thebrush head being readily detached by imposing a pull thereon with aslight retrograde 'twist relatively to the handle.

The brush head and the brush-head receive ing end portion of thetoothbrush handle are formed of suchsmall size as to permit readypositioning in the mouth and the bristles are of such size thatiat leastthe major portion of the ends thereof will come within the boundaries ofa single tooth surface thereby facilitating cleansing of the individualteeth. By forming the brush handle with a gooseneck brush-carrying endportion, the brush may be readily positioned to operate on the innerfaces of the teeth and to effect brushing action on the back faces ofthe Vrear molars.

Vhile the brush may be employed in the manner common to the ordinarytoothbrush it is especially adapted by reason of the annular arrangementof the bristles to be manipulatedwith a circular motion which lattermovement is found in practice to be most eflective'in teeth cleaningoperations.

In Figs. 7 to 12 inclusive are shown various modified forms of thedetachable connection between the brush head B and handle A.

In the construction shown in Fig. '.7, the brush i head I3 is formedwith a tapered threaded stem 26 which is screwed into .engagement withan internally threaded socket 27 formed in the brush handle.

In the construction shown in Fig. 8 the brush handle is formed withA anopening 28 extending therethrough andV the brush head is formed with athreaded stem 29 which is insertable in the opening 23 and is engaged bya nut 30 whereby the brush head may be dcmountably clamped on thehandle.-

' In the construction shown in Fig. 9, the brush head is formed with astem 31 having a peripheral groove 32 and the brush handle is formedwith a socket 33 and carries a spring-pressed ball detent 34 arrangedtoeffect engagement with the groove 32 when the stem 31 is placed in thesocket 33 to demountably retain lthe brush head in place.

In the construction shown in Fig. 10 the brush handle is formed with asocket 35, the sidewall of which is formed adjacent the bottom ofthesocket with an annular groove 36 from which open ended channels 37 andthe brush head is formed with a stem 38 having laterally projectingstuds 39 adapted to be positioned in the annular channel36. A-spring 40is arranged in the socket 35 to bear against the end of the stem 38 toclamp he studs 39 against a side wall of the channel 36 when the studsare disposed out of alignment with the grooves 37.

In the construction shown in Fig. 11, the brush handle is formed with asocket 41 having a channel 42 in its side 'wall in whichis arranged aspring `pawl 43 and the brush head is formed with a stem 44 having oneor more serrations 45 adapted to be engaged by the pawl 43 when the stem44 is disposed in the socket 41.

In the construction shown in Fig. 12 the handle is formed with anopening 46 which projects therethrough and the brush head is providedwith a stem 47 having a side groove 43 adjacent its outer end andmounted on the back of the brush handle is a slide plate 49, the outerend of which is adapted to lee engage the groove 48 to retain the brushhead in place.

I claim:

1. A toothbrush comprising a handle formed with a t-apered socket at oneend thereof, a brush head including bristles disposed to impart to thebrush end an annular formation, and a tapered stem on said brush headhaving a reduced outer end portion for insertion longitudinally intosaid socket; said stem and socket being formed to coact and effect wedgeengagement between the stem and brush handle.

2. A toothbrush comprising a handle formed with a tapered socket at oneend thereof, a brush head including bristles disposed to impart to thebrush end an annular formation, a tapered stern on said brush head forinsertion into said socket, said stem and socket being formed to coactand effect wedge engagement between the stem and brush handle, andcoacting means on said stem and handle for holding said brush head'against free-turning movement relatively to the handle.

3. A toothbrush comprising a handle formed with a socket at one endthereof having its side walls inwardly converging, a brush headincluding bristles disposed with their ends arranged in substantiallycircular formation, a tapered stem on said brush head for insertion insaid socket, said stem and socket being formed to cooperate and eii'ectwedge-engagement between the brush head and handle, said socket beingformed in its side wall with a spirally extending groove of high pitch,and a key ormed on said stem engageable with said groove for holding thebrush head against free-turning movement relatively to the handle.

4. A toothbrush, comprising a brush head including a tapered externalannular wall formed with a reduced stem at its small end portion,bristles carried interiorly of said wall arranged to form an annularbrush, and a handle formed with a socket into which said stem projects,said socket being enlarged at its outer end to Jform a recess in whichthe small end portion of said wall seats.

5. A toothbrush, comprising 'a brush head including a tapered externalannular Wall, bristles carried interiorly of said wall arranged to forman annular brush, a reduced tubular stem formed on the smaller endportion of said wall, said stem being slightly convergent from itsintersection with said wall to its outer end, a handle formed with asocket into which said stem projects in wedge engagement therewith, saidsocket being enlarged at its outer end to form a recess in which thesmaller end portion of said wall seats.

6. A toothbrush, comprising bristles bent intermediate their ends andarranged to provide a bristle body in the form of a hollow truncatedcone with the intermediate portions of the bristles extending across thereduced end of the bristle body and with the ends 0f the bristlesterminating at the base of the cone to form an annular brush, a taperedannular wall encircling the reduced end portion of the cone, a stemcarried by and protruding axially from said annular Wall, a taperedannular wall arranged within the conical body, and means connecting saidlast named wall to said stem through the reduced end portion of theconical body of bristles to clamp the intermediate portions of thebristles between said walls.

7. A toothbrush, comprising a series of bristles bent intermediate theirends and arranged in a-body with their end portions disposed to form anannular brush, a tapered annular wall encircling the intermediateportions of said bristles having an inturned shoulder on its small end,a tubular stem protruding axially of said wall and connected theretothrough said shoulder, a split sleeve vaiiixed interiorly of said stem,a second tapered annular wall arranged within the body of bristles, aninturned flange on the small end of said wall, and a pin secured in saidsleeve and engaging said flange to clamp the .intermediate portions ofsaid bristles between said walls.

HAROLD PALMER DUEY.

